Cork-extractor



(No Model.)

G. W. ENGEL.

CORK EXTRAGTOR;

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FEICE.

GEORGE W. ENGEL, OF ASHLAND, PENNSYLVANIA.

CORK-EXTRACTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,005, dated July 10, 1888.

I Application filed February 2'7, 1888. Serial No. 265,372. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. ENGEL, of Ashland, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cork-Extractors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in cork-extractors; and it consists in an extractor formed from a single rod or wire, and which has both of its ends bent inwardly or hooked, and which are made to spring outward from each other when left free to move, the wire or rod being bent into a spring at its center, and its two arms being made to extend parallel from this spring to the point where'they begin to diverge, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a pair of tongs which is especially adapted for withdrawing corks from the inside of bottles, cans, and other similar vessels.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of tongs embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the shape the extractor assumes when the points are forced together, so as to be thrust into the bottle or can.

A represents a pair of tongs which is formed from a single rod or wire, and which has the spring B formed at its center by coiling the wire or rod one or more times into a circle. From this spring 13 the two arms 0 extend parallel to that point, D, where the arms begin to diverge, as shown in Fig. 1. The end G of each arm is bent inwardly, as shown, so as to enable the arms to catch hold upon the cork which is to be pulled out of the bottle orcan. These hooked ends, when left free to move, diverge outward at any suitable angle, and have to be forced together, as shown in Fig. 2, before they can be inserted into the bottle or can. When these ends are forced together, the arms between the ends and the spring form an ellipse. This ellipse disappears and the arms again become parallel as the extractoris passed into the bottle and reassumes its natural shape. After the bottle or can has been turned upside down, so as to bring the cork to its mouth, it is only necessary to pull outward upon the tongs, when the sides of the mouth will cause the arms to close inwardly toward each other upon the cork, and then by exerting a pull the cork is drawn through the mouth without being injured or broken in any manner. The two arms are made elastic by means of the spring, so as to separate after they pass into the bottle or can, and thus allow the cork to fall in between them.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- A cork-extractor consisting ofapairof tongs having a spring at the center, the two arms of the tongs extending in parallel lines from the springto the point D, at which point they cross and diverge from each other and terminate in inwardly-extending hooks, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. ENGEL. Witnesses:

AARON BoEHMER, NICHOLAS SOHEUEEN. 

